becker



No Model.) 2 sheets-sheet 1.

F. L. BECKER.

DOOR SPRING.

No. 391,78L Patented Oct. 23, 1888.

Iz'gl N, PETERS, PhOm-Lilhogrnphr. Walhlngtnn. UAC.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.. F. L. BECKER.

DOOR SPRING.

(No Model.)

110.391,'731. Patented Oct. 23, 1888.

Miren FRANCIS L. BECKER, OF NEV YORK, N. Y.

DOOR-SPRING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 391,731, dated @otober 23:, 1888.

Application filed May 17, NF8. Serial No. 274,182. (No model.)

To all whom, t may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANCIS L. BECKER, of the city and State of New York, have invented a certain Improvementin Door-Closing Apparatus, of which the following is a specication.

This improvement relates principally to a door-spring so arranged with relation to a door and jamb, by means cfa system oflinks and levers, that but a comparatively small range of movement suffices to charge it with the force required to enable it to close the door, however widely the door may be open, and in so doing to overcome the resistance of a door-check to the concluding portion of the closing movement oil the door. It is herein shown as combined with a door-check of the type described in Letters Patent of the United States, No. 374,337, dated December 6, 1887. The characteristic feature of said door-check is that the latter portion ofthe closing movement of the door is controlled by the frictional action of a brake upon the periphery of a pivoted buffer in the l'ornl of an eccentric or scroll e" cam,which, by means of a spring or its equivalent, is made to present its longer radius for initial engagement with the brake, and by thereafter rocking upon its pivot affords for the brake a bearing of gradually-diminishing radius. The door-spring and the appurtenances ofthe system of links and levers with which it is immediately connected may be mounted upon thejamb and be connected by means of a link with the door, or may be mounted upon the door and connected by a link with the jamb. The latter form is that which has been selected for illustration in the accompanying drawings,which are as follows:

Figure l is a front elevation of a door and 40 jamb to which the improvement is applied,

showing` the parts in the positions which they occupy when the` door is open at an angle of about thirty-rive degrees. Fig. 2 is a top view showing the door open at an angle of thirtyve degrees. Fig. 3 is atop view showing the door open at one hundred and forty degrees. Fig. et is a top view showing the door closed. Fig. 5 is a top view showing the door nearly closed, but with the brake-block and buffer removed to afford a better View of the other parts of the structure. Fig. 6 is a front elevation of the faceplate D.

The drawings show a door, A,which is hung to ajamb or door-frame, B, by the usual hinges, C. Aftixed to the upper part of the door is a face-plate, D, to which is pivotall y connected an arm, E, swinging upon a vertical axis. The vertical cross-bar e, which connects the upper horizontal member, e, with the lower horizontal member, e2, of the arm E, is transversely perforated to admit the screw/bolt f, which at its inner extremity is connected with one end of the strong contracting spiral spring F, the opposite end of which is connected to the link F, pivoted to a lug, d, alllxed to or formed in one piece with the faceplate D. Laterally-projecting lugs D and D2, also af'- iixed to or formed in one piece with the faceplate D, afford the seats, respectively, for the upper and lower ends of the vertical pivot E', which constitutes the axis of the arm E. The pivoted connection of the link F to the lug d is a little to one side of the pivot E, and hence the contracting force ofthe spiral spring F tends to pull the free end of the arm E side- Wise toward the side of the face-plate D, with which the inner end of the spring F is connected. The outer end ofthe arm E has pivotally connected to it one extremity of the shouldered link G, the other extremity of which is pivotally connected to the outer end of the link or chain H, the inner end of which is pivotally connected with a suitably-perforated lug, i, affixed to or formed in one piece with the small face-plate I, secu red to thejamb of the door. Vhen the door is opened, the pull of the link or chain H upon the outer end of the arm E compels the arm to rock upon its axis toward the hinges of the door, and to thus distend the spiral spring F. ln case it be desired to increase the extent of such distention there is provided an adjustable screwstop, J, which is inserted transversely through the face-plate D into the door, and the head of which projects into the path of movement of the link F', so that at a prescribed stage in the outward movement of the door the side of the link F', by being brought into collision with the screw-stop J, is prevented from further rocking upon its axis. The effect of such collision is to hold back the end of the spring F which is connected to thelink F, and to thereby compel a further distention of the spring F, when the door is further opened, as illustrated IOO in Fig. 3. By this device the apparatus is adapted for employment in connection with doorsdifferingin weight. When the door isvery heavy, the adjustable screw-stop J is turned outward, so that the link F acquires collision with it soon after the door commences to open. If a less heavy door is used, the adjustable screw-stop J is not turned out so far, and the collision of the link F with the head of the screw-slop being thereby delayed until a later stage ot" the opening movement of the door, there is a less extent ol" distention of the spring F.

It will be seen that the pull of the spring F upon the outer end of the arm E is transmitted by means ofthe links G and H to thejamb, to which the inner end of the link H is connected, and that in the act of opening the door the arm E is necessarily compelled to swing toward the hinges of the door, because the link H is fastened to a part of the jamb which is nearer the axis of the door than is the pivot upon which the arm E swings. Thus the force required to open the door must b e suflicient to overcome the force with which the spring F resists distention. Similarly, when the door is released after being opened, the contracting force of the spring, tending to rock the outer end of the arm E away from the hinges of the door, exerts upon the door in a direction tending to close it an amount of force equal to that expended in opening` the door. The adjusting screw-bolt f extends through the cross-bar e of the arm E, and is provided upon its outwardlyprojecting portion with the adjustingnutf.

It will be seen that by appropriately turning the adjusting-nut j'" the tension of the spring F may be increased or diminished to the extent which may be desired for the particular door to which the apparatus is applied. If the apparatus should be used for a door incapable of being opened more than ninety degrees, the link G might be rigidly affixed to the outer end of the arm E; but when the door is to be opened more than ninety degrees-for illustration, as shown inFig. 3, to one hundred and thirty degrees, or morethe link G comes into play as a means of affording the required radial elongation of the connection between the faceplate affixed to thejamb and the outer end of the arm E. ln the course of i the closing movement of the door the shoulder gof the link G is carried into collision with the side of the arm E, or, preferably, with the end of the adjustable stop g inserted transversely through the arm E, in which position it remains until the door is again opened Widely. The adjustable stop g serves to regulate the position which the arm E assumes when the door is closed. Turning the stop g in or out against the shoulderg changes the angle of the link G with the link H, and thus changes the distance between the outer end of the arm E and the face-plate I, affixed to the jamb. There is thus afforded a means of adjusting the apparatus with reference to its application without any cutting away of the jamb in cases Where there is a greater or less projection of the jamb-molding beyond the vertical plane of the closed door. The adjustable stop g' also affords a means for effecting a delicate adjustment of' the amount of tension which the spring F exerts when the door is iu its closed position. In practice the parts will usually be so proportioned that when the door is closed the arm E will be brought to rest in a position substantially at right angles with the face of the door, while the shoulder g will be in contact with the arm E. Vhen so proportioned, the apparatus is well adapted for application to a door and jamb the faces of which are in the same vertical plane.

It will be seen that by screwing in the stop g against the shoulder g the arm E will be rocked toward the hinged edge of the door, and to the extent to which it is so rocked the spring F will be distended, and the force which it exerts upon the closed door will be thereby increased. This means of delicatelyadjusting the spring F is of especial use when the apparatus is to be employed upon a door provided with the well-known electrical unlatching device, in which case it is desired that when unlatched the door shall spring outwardly a short distance from the jamb. To accomplish this purpose there is provided the armstop K, which may be simply ascrew inserted in a hole tapped in the face-plate D, as shown, and projecting outwardly therefrom a sufficient distance to afford a bearing at its outer end, 7c, for the shoulder E2, formed. upon the side of the arm E, as shown. By suitably adjusting the position of the arm stop K the door may be relieved from the force of the spring F at any desired stage in the latter part of its closing movementfor example, at such a stage that the momentum of the door, after it has been relieved from the force of the spring F, will just suffice to latch it, and in so doing to overcome the force of the spring employed in electrical unlatching devices, the purpose of which is to open the door slightly when it is unlatched.

Inasmuch as the door closing spring, arranged as described, is by a very small range of opening movement of the door charged with the required force, it is especially adapted for employment in combination with doorchecks of the type of that hereinbefore referred to, in which a strong force is required to overcome the friction of the brake upon the buffer during the door-checking operation. Heretofore the required force has been Asupplied by means of a supplemental spring, which was not brought into action until the door had partially completed its closing movement, the initiatory closing movement of the door being effected by the main door-spring. In the present case it will be seen that the force stored up in the spring F by the act of opening the door is sufficient not only to irn- IOL.

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part the initiatory closing movement7 but to enable the door to overcome the frictioual resistance due to the bearing of the brake L upon the periphery m of the scroll-shaped buffer M during the latter portion of the door'closing operation.

It has been customary heretofore to employ an adjustable spring for rocking the buffer upon its axis as soon as it was released lfrom the brake, in order to have it present its longer radius for initial engagement with the brake during the closing movement of the door, and also for the purpose of slightly adding to the force required to rock the buffer upon its axis. The present invention, however, embraces an especial device for conveniently and accurately adjusting the tension of the buffer spring with reference to the state of adj ust ment of the door-closing appurtenances, by means of which the action upon the door of the spring F is regulated. This device consists of a spring-adjusting arm, m', which has one end fastened to the face of the buffer M by the screw m2, and has its other extremity connected with the spiral buffer-spring h By loosening the screw m2 the arm m may be rocked in either direction to increase or diminish the tension of the buHer-spring M, and, having been moved to the desired position, is secured therein by tightening the screw m2.

It will of course be understood that the doorclosing spring F, and the arm E, and thelinks G and H, constituting the peculiar lever system by means of which the spring F is enabled to supply the force required to close the door withoutitselfrequiring to begreatlydistended, may be employed in connection with other forms of Well'known door-checks, or without any door-check in cases where door checks are not desired. There is, however, a peculiar mode of action of the buffer-check when employed as shown in the drawings, which consists in an increased range of sliding movement ofthe surface of the bufferupon the sur 'face of the brake, due to the fact that the buffer is pivoted upon the swinging arm E, so that the axis ofthe buffer, instead of moving merely in an arc of the circle of which the hinge of the door is the axis, has an additional`movement resulting from the swinging of the arm E upon its axis E. As is obvious, this increases the range of sliding movement of the periphery of the buffer upon the surface ofthe brak e, and the same result ensues whether the arm and butter are mounted upon the jamb and the brake upon the door, or, as shown in the drawings, the brake is aflixed to the jamb and the arm and buffer mounted upon the door.

It is to be remarked that the brake L is simply a strip of steel fastened, as shown, to the diagonal face a of the brake supporting block N, which block will be made of greater or less thickness, according as the face of the jamb projects in a less or greater degree outward from the vertical plane of the surface of the door when closed.

The instrumentality which connects the small face-plate l with the shouldered link G has been hereinbcfore referred lo as the link or chain H. lt will of course be seen that a flexible chain might be substitut-ed for the rigid link shown in the drawings as a means of connecting the link G with the face-plate l. In practice the links H and G will be so proportioned that their combined length when straightened out will be sufficient to enable them to extend from the perforated lug t' to the outer end of the arm E in the position which it acquires when the door is open one hundred and eighty degrees. t

The apparatus as a whole is so organized that it is readily made applicable to doors opening either to the right or to the left. 'llo this end the two holes K and K? are tapped 1n the face-plate, and the arm E, in addition to being provided with the shoulder EZ upon one side, is provided with asimilar shoulder, E3, upon the opposite side. In the drawings the arm-stop K is shown as inserted through the hole K', and it is thus adapted to bear upon the shoulder E2. By removing the armstop K from the hole K and inserting it in the hole K2 it is brought into position to bear upon the shoulder Eiland to thus serve as a stop f or the swinging arm E when the apparatus 1s. applied to a door opening in the opposite direction from that shown in the drawings. In such case other changes of arrangement ofthe parts are made as follows: The lug d, instead of being inserted in the hole d,tapped in the faceplate, is inserted in the hole j after the screwstop J has been removed therefrom. .ly this change the spring F is made to exert its pull upon the arm E in the opposite directlon to that in which it exerts it when arranged as shown in the drawings. The screw stop J, when inserted through the hole d', is adapted to eect the distention ofthe spring F by acting upon the side of the link F opposite to that which is acted upon when the parts are arranged as shown in the drawings. The free end of the arm E, instead of being connected with the jamb on the right side or" the brakeblock N, as shown, requires in this case connection with thejamb on the left of the brakeblock. To that end the pivot G is removed, the shouldered link G is detached from the arm E, and the links G and H and the faceplate I being then turned upside down the shouldered linkG is again connected with the free end of the arm E by the reinsertion of the pivot G. The adjustable screw-stop g 1s unscrewed from the arm E and inserted the opposite way through the hole tapped thereni, in order that it may now serve to bear upon the shoulder g in the reversed position of the link G with relation to the arm E. The faceplate I is appropriately fastened to the jamb to theleft of the brake-block N, which is turned upside down before being fastened to the j amb. The only remaining change required is to reverse the position of the scroll-shaped buffer,

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which is effected by removing it from its bearing,together with its spring M, and then turning it upside down and replacing it in its bearing, with the spring M beneath the buffer M, instead of above it, as shown in the drawings.

It will thus be seen that without the discard ing of any of the parts ofthe apparatus or the substitution therefor of any other parts, and by a mere change in the positions of the parts, the apparatus is equally adaptable-for applif cation to doors opening either to the right or left.

As has been explained, the apparatus shown is reversible-that is, the parts shown as mounted upon the door may be mounted upon the jamb, in which case the parts mounted upon the jamb may be mounted upon the door. It will therefore be understood that the terms door and jamb77 occurring in the claims are to be regarded as transposable.

What is claimed as the invention isl. An arm pivotally mounted at one end upon the door and swinging upon an axis parallel with the axis of tne door, a spring carried by the door and arranged to exert its force upon the arm in the direction required to rock the arm away from the hinged edge of the door, and asuitable linked connection Vfor connecting the arm with a point on the jamb nearer the axial line of the door than the radial distance between the axis of the arm and the axis ofthe door, in combination with an arm-stop affixed to the door and projecting into the path of movement of a part of the swinging arm, for arresting the swinging movement of said arm at a prescribed stage in the closing movement of the door.

2. A swinging arm pivotally mounted at one end upon the door, a spring for rocking the said arm away from the hinged edge of the door,andalinked connection for connecting the jamb with the free end of the arm and thereby controlling the rocking movement of the arm during the closing movement of the door, in combination with a doorcheek for opposing a prescribed amount of resistance to the closing movement of the door.

3. A swinging arm pivotally mounted at one end upon the door, a spring for rocking the said arm away from the hinged edge of the door,and alinked connection for connecting the jamb with the free end of the arm and thereby controlling the rocking movement of the arm during the closing movement of the door, in combination with a scroll-shaped buffer pivotally mounted upon the said swinging arm, and a brake affixed to and projecting laterally from the jamb, for engaging the periphery of said buffer during the latter portion of the closing movement of the door.

4. The swinging arm E, the buier M,pivot ally mounted thereon, and the buffer-spring M', in combination with the spring-adj usting arm m' and the fastening-screw m2.

5. rlhe swinging arm E and the contracting spring F, connecting the free end of the arm E with a point on the door nearer the free edge thereof than the axis of the arm E, in combination with the shouldered link G, the adj listing-screw g', and the link H, connecting the frce end of the arm E with the jamb, as and for the purposes set forth.

6. The swinging arm E, mounted upon the door and linked to the jamb, the contracting spiral spring F, and the link F', for con neeting to the door the end of the spring F opposite that connected with the arm E, in combination with the adjustable screw-stop J, for increasing the distention of the spring F by its collision with the link F ata prescribed stage in the swinging movement of the arm E, resulting from the opening ofthe door.

7. rlhe combination, as herein set forth, of the swinging arm E, mounted upon the door and linked to the jamb, a spring acting upon the rocking arm in such direction as to tighten its connection with thejamb, andan adjustingscrew connected with said spring for the purpose ot' varying the normal tension thereof.

8. The swinging arm E, carried upon the door and linked to thejamb, and the spring F, suitably connected at one extremity with the free end of the arm E and at the other extremity with the lug d, in combination with the stop Jand face-plate D, having the holes d and j tapped in it, as and for the purpose set forth.

FRANCIS L. BECKER.

Witnesses:

JOHN H. PIPER, A. M. JONES. 

